Want to go beyond the standard rivers of Europe and scenery? - Downsize!

There are rivers and landscapes beyond the standard Rhine, Main, Moselle, Danube, Seine and Rhone, or even the Elbe and the Douro, the last one getting ever more popular.

Here is the catch: you cannot see them on a 135m ship. Even the 110m ships might not be small enough. Do not get me wrong, I am not talking of the very expensive barge cruises on the canals in France. I mean other rivers and canals built as trading routes. They criss-cross Europe and give you access to towns and landscapes that you might never have heard about...

So, in order to see such places you need to downsize, go for the smaller ships and forget about multiple dining options, swimming pool, sundeck lounge, etc. If you are still interested read on.

One example of such a cruise crossing Europe is CroisiEurope's offering: Amsterdam to Berlin! Yes, there is a different way out of Amsterdam, you do not need to go to Cologne. :)

The problem: there are very few sailings.

But to give you an idea what is possible on smaller ships, here is the itinerary: http://www.croisieurope.co.uk/cruises/amsterdam-berlin-formula-port/port-without-transfer

I have given the Neckar and Oder rivers their own threads and mentioned a few companies in those.

More info to come. And please ask away... beyond the language divide I might be able to find out something for you. :)

notamermaid

On an itinerary like CroisiEurope's mentioned above - and a couple of German companies offer it or a similar one - you will be on the Havel, the Weser and the Ems and sail along canals. One of them is the Mittelland Canal: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mittelland_Canal , one of the fascinating engineering features is the aqueduct at Minden. I give you the German page as it has got a great aerial photo in it, but you can read a bit on it on the English page: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wasserstra%C3%9Fenkreuz_Minden

Talking of engineering: this is a nice itinerary for those with an interest in cars as Wolfsburg, home of Volkswagen, is on this route. It is one of the few town developments of the first half of the 20th century in Germany.

Edit: Luckily, a Dutch river cruise line offers a similar itinerary, it appears to the English-speaking world as well as Dutch native speakers: http://www.dutchcruiseline.nl/en/river-cruise/cruise-amsterdam-berlin/8a9e6034-ee4d-43fc-a791-a0a9da4edda5

notamermaid

There are rivers and landscapes beyond the standard Rhine, Main, Moselle, Danube, Seine and Rhone, or even the Elbe and the Douro, the last one getting ever more popular.

 

Here is the catch: you cannot see them on a 135m ship. Even the 110m ships might not be small enough. Do not get me wrong, I am not talking of the very expensive barge cruises on the canals in France. I mean other rivers and canals built as trading routes. They criss-cross Europe and give you access to towns and landscapes that you might never have heard about...

 

So, in order to see such places you need to downsize, go for the smaller ships and forget about multiple dining options, swimming pool, sundeck lounge, etc. If you are still interested read on.

 

One example of such a cruise crossing Europe is CroisiEurope's offering: Amsterdam to Berlin! Yes, there is a different way out of Amsterdam, you do not need to go to Cologne. :)

 

The problem: there are very few sailings.

 

But to give you an idea what is possible on smaller ships, here is the itinerary: http://www.croisieurope.co.uk/cruises/amsterdam-berlin-formula-port/port-without-transfer

 

I have given the Neckar and Oder rivers their own threads and mentioned a few companies in those.

 

More info to come. And please ask away... beyond the language divide I might be able to find out something for you. :)

 

notamermaid

I am very interested in this itinerary, however the link shows no dates and prices!

Hello KathyK13,

you are right, it would seem to suggest that they do not offer it on the UK site for 2018. I suppose one would need to check with CroisiEurope whether it is available as an English language cruise this year or not. It is available on the German pages. The download catalogue shows it on page 49 as "Kanäle des Nordens": https://www.meinfluss.de/files/Croisi_Europe_2018.pdf

notamermaid

Hi all, and thanks for your interest! We love providing itineraries that are new, unique, and off-the beaten path! You're right, these are few and far between, and typically book up quick (smaller ships, interesting programs, and fewer departures = scarcity).

The good news is this is not the only out-of-the-way itinerary we offer. Look for us on France's Loire, in Northern Germany on the Oder and Havel, along Spain's Guadalquivir and Portugal's Guadiana, and across France on our Canal Barges.

Those ready to book for 2019, look for our 2019 schedules to launch in the upcoming month, or call your local travel agent for a preview.

Bon Voyage!

Another option is the Göta Canal in Sweden, connecting Gothenburg and Stockholm. Vintags cruise ships, the youngest of the fleet being 85 yrs old,

https://www.gotacanal.se/en/cruises/grand-sweden-cruise/

With the new season for European river cruising in 2019 coming up in nine weeks I think it is time to have another look at some unusual places on rivers and canals. Both CroisiEurope and nickocruises offer the trip from Berlin to Amsterdam this year. The stops in between the end ports need not be identical so if you would like to compare look for the CroisiEurope American website (last year's link is above). Here is the itinerary with nickocruises: https://www.nicko-cruises.de/en/expose/between-the-havel-and-the-north-sea/?tx_nickotoursibe_offer[disabled]=1&cHash=af05e3f41e2c683e2a736f409d7cefe0

I mentioned last year that the ships are smaller than 135m on these routes. nickocruises uses the Frederic Chopin which is 83m long. See link. CroisiEurope uses the Victor Hugo and the Mona Lisa that are both 82m long.

Pacmom is going with CroisiEurope on this route this year and one of the stops/excursions is Hanover. Hanover is the capital of the state of Lower Saxony. Here is a video by Deutsche Welle of what you can see and do there: https://www.dw.com/en/travel-tips-for-hanover/av-19351830

notamermaid

6 hours ago, notamermaid said:

With the new season for European river cruising in 2019 coming up in nine weeks I think it is time to have another look at some unusual places on rivers and canals. Both CroisiEurope and nickocruises offer the trip from Berlin to Amsterdam this year. The stops in between the end ports need not be identical so if you would like to compare look for the CroisiEurope American website (last year's link is above). Here is the itinerary with nickocruises: https://www.nicko-cruises.de/en/expose/between-the-havel-and-the-north-sea/?tx_nickotoursibe_offer[disabled]=1&cHash=af05e3f41e2c683e2a736f409d7cefe0

 

I mentioned last year that the ships are smaller than 135m on these routes. nickocruises uses the Frederic Chopin which is 83m long. See link. CroisiEurope uses the Victor Hugo and the Mona Lisa that are both 82m long.

 

Pacmom is going with CroisiEurope on this route this year and one of the stops/excursions is Hanover. Hanover is the capital of the state of Lower Saxony. Here is a video by Deutsche Welle of what you can see and do there: https://www.dw.com/en/travel-tips-for-hanover/av-19351830

 

notamermaid

 

Thanks for posting this! I looked at this itinerary on Nicko's website recently, and unfortunately for us English-speakers, none of the trips have guaranteed  English-speaking tours or on-board talks. The Nicko cruises that accommodate English-speakers show small British flags by the dates on the drop-down menu to pick a date, and this itinerary doesn't show any dates for English speakers. If they did, I think that I'd book one of these cruises.

I think that this is a new itinerary for 2019 with Nicko, and it looks like it's a popular one. 3 of the 4 cabin classes are sold out on most of the cruises!

Hello fuelscience,

Yes, that is the catch with nickocruises' offer. I spoke to the German customer line yesterday and the lady confirmed that, while English-speaking guests are welcome on the German itineraries, all excursions, menu cards and all paper information are in German only. For easy reference one could send an email to receive a list of all cruises dates for English language passengers.

As I would like to see the interior of one of their ships I also asked her about an "open day". Unfortunately, they have no such dates for the general public.

notamermaid

While the standard rivers and canals are accessible by ship for there known entire lengths, by this I mean for example you know the Rhine can be sailed from Basel to Rotterdam (diverting to Amsterdam via the canals), there are others that are not that straightforward even when they have become standard rivers. The Moselle is usually sailed from Koblenz to Luxembourg/port of Remich, that is when looking upstream. Few lines go further but ships can sail to Metz in France (and a bit further). Barges regularly do. Old regulations meant that river cruise ships only up to 110m sailed the Moselle but the 135m ones have been regular guests on the river for some years now. As regards the rules further upstream from Remich I do not know what the situation is at present. But it is notable that no large ships appear to sail into France.

Now, to go beyond the standard itineraries on the Moselle you can downsize and sail even close to Nancy without having to book a small barge cruise or resort to a day excursion trip.

Here is a new itinerary from nickocruises that sails to places you will hardly ever see on a "North-American itinerary", i.e. with a company that is based in North America. nickocruises sails from Frouard/Nancy to Saarbrücken. Yes, no Cochem, Bernkastel-Kues or Koblenz on this itinerary!

https://www.nicko-cruises.de/en/expose/on-the-moselle-and-saar-1/

Now, the problem with nickocruises is that it appears they have cruises (and especially a website) that aim to attract English-speaking guests but on the ground - on the ship - things do not work out that well. If you no not speak German you are (almost) on your own. If you consider the company be prepared for that, ask ahead and still be prepared for hiccups when you get to the ship. It is somewhat a pity as this is a lovely, different itinerary. The ship used is the Casanova, so if you see a charter from an English tour operator for this kind of tour, do consider the Casanova, she is a nicely renovated ship, the food is fine according to fuelscience and the language problem would be solved. For some photos and ideas check out the thread on the Moselle: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2268619-the-river-moselle-infos-and-river-cruising-experiences/

This is the report by @FuelScience :

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2656152-nicko-saarbrucken-to-stuttgart-day-by-day/

The MS Casanova is 103m long.

Next up: you could downsize even more and do a barge and bike tour on the Moselle...

notamermaid

40 minutes ago, notamermaid said:

Next up: you could downsize even more and do a barge and bike tour on the Moselle...

Still hoping for next September Cochem to Metz. I spent the weekend booking some hotels (all with cancellable rates), which is the first actual thing I have done to prepare for the trip. I have a voucher for the hotel in Strasbourg (we are taking a week after the end of the barge and bike to explore Metz, Nancy, Colmar and Strasbourg) which was the only one I had booked with a non-refundable rate for last May, and I don't think we could do anything with it if we don't travel this year since it expires in November, so I guess I should book that one too.

My sister and I will both be seniors by then (my sister already is; I turn in June) so hopefully we will both be vaccinated.

On the Moselle various tour operators offer river cruises that focus on cycling, usually called bike & barge cruises. As you may expect, these do not offer the usual luxurious ship amenities with two restaurants, etc. on large ships. However, they are not necessarily the peniche sailing the French canals. The size of ships varies. Here is one company: https://www.se-tours.de/en/tours/bike-and-boat/patria-koblenz-saarburg

This itinerary is sailed by the MS Patria with a length of 68m for 68 passengers. She is not the largest boat for bike tours, there are larger ones that offer barge & bike tours, especially on other rivers.

But some ships on the Moselle are even smaller and get closer to (or are) that peniche type. Here is another itinerary: https://www.tripsite.com/bike-boat/tours/metz-to-cochem/#ts-tour-dates-pricing

This one or the vice versa one is sailed by the Quo Vadis (45m, 24pax), the Iris (45m, 24 pax) and the Princesse Royal (62m, 35 pax).

@gnome12 I thought about your upcoming river cruise when I wrote my last post. The Cochem to Metz one above is your basic itinerary, if I am not mistaken.

notamermaid

3 hours ago, notamermaid said:

This one or the vice versa one is sailed by the Quo Vadis (45m, 24pax), the Iris (45m, 24 pax) and the Princesse Royal (62m, 35 pax).

 

@gnome12 I thought about your upcoming river cruise when I wrote my last post. The Cochem to Metz one above is your basic itinerary, if I am not mistaken.

 

notamermaid

 

I hope to be on the Iris in September for Cochem to Metz. I did book through tripsite.com.

Let us really downsize and leave the European continent to have a look at the only official river cruise (as far as I know) on the river Thames in England. The "African Queen", which had been a Dutch barge formerly, has as her home harbour London. Trips can be booked through the owners or the river cruise line, Arena Travel: https://www.arenatravel.com/river-cruises/ships/african-queen

Which makes this an official river cruise ship, okay - large boat. She is only 30m long.

notamermaid

If your feeling just a little braver you can hire and captain your own vessel on the waterways of Europe including the U.K. We still have a French barge booked on the Nivernais Canal this year but it’s looking more like we will be moving it to next year. There are several companies who cover this kind of venture. If your interested try getting hold of a book entitled Narrow Dog to Carcasone. The guy who wrote it is a competent boater. He also did a trip and book about Narrow Dog to Indian River. The narrow dog is a whippet. It gives an idea of what it’s like. CA

1 hour ago, Canal archive said:

If your feeling just a little braver you can hire and captain your own vessel on the waterways of Europe including the U.K. We still have a French barge booked on the Nivernais Canal this year but it’s looking more like we will be moving it to next year. There are several companies who cover this kind of venture. If your interested try getting hold of a book entitled Narrow Dog to Carcasone. The guy who wrote it is a competent boater. He also did a trip and book about Narrow Dog to Indian River. The narrow dog is a whippet. It gives an idea of what it’s like. CA

We did something similar on the Erie Canal and Finger Lakes in New York State back in 2003 – bareboat charter of the Fair Dinkum from Seneca Falls.  Most canal boats have a flat bottom and can only sail the canals, but Fair Dinkum has a v-hull with fuel and water as ballast so it's allowed on Seneca and Cayuga lakes.  That was a very interesting, scary, exciting, crazy, once-in-a-liftime, let's not do this ever again trip!!!  [They really shouldn't rent boats to people with no boating experience.  Watching a VHS intro and one-hour of hands-on tutoring was not enough!]

The ones we narrowboaters think are crazy are those who sail there NBs over the channel to France. They have to be marinised but are flat bottomed, 7 foot wide and at most 70 foot long. Absolutely crazy, I’d have ours low loaded but the cost is prohibitive so we are hiring. CA 

PS there are some bits on that film site we all know to give you an idea.

Jazz-  Funny you should write that.  On Sunday I was standing in knee deep snow looking at lock 29 on the Erie Canal in beautiful Palmyra NY.  One of the info boards had a picture of a canal boat that it looks like you can rent.  My daughter confirmed that Brockport to the east not only has microbreweries that you can dock adjacent to, but also shower facilities further down for canal boaters.  Lockport also has amenities easily accessed from the canal.

My wheels were spinning, that looks like it could be a blast, but I have no experience in anything other than a kayak, and it could go south quickly.

Go for it, @ural guy! The Erie Canal cuts through some beautiful areas. We toured the locks at Lockport this fall and it was smooth sailing along the way. Lockport is a cool old town that was worth the stop.

11 minutes ago, ural guy said:

Jazz-  Funny you should write that.  On Sunday I was standing in knee deep snow looking at lock 29 on the Erie Canal in beautiful Palmyra NY.  One of the info boards had a picture of a canal boat that it looks like you can rent.  My daughter confirmed that Brockport to the east not only has microbreweries that you can dock adjacent to, but also shower facilities further down for canal boaters.  Lockport also has amenities easily accessed from the canal.

 

My wheels were spinning, that looks like it could be a blast, but I have no experience in anything other than a kayak, and it could go south quickly.

We survived, but only because God was with us.  It was planned as a bonding experience with our teenage son, while his elder sister was doing some theater-related trip.  All it did was make him even more sure that his parents are doofuses.  Luckily he is now in his '30s, has rediscovered that his parents aren't so stupid after all, and has been taking wonderful care of the snow on our driveway all winter!  But as to the boat:  the saving grace for a rental craft is the 1" thick steel hull.  But as we were puttering down Seneca Lake at the max speed of 8 knots, I noticed a thunderstorm chasing us at 12 knots.  Called the boat owner on my cell phone to ask about danger and he said 'don't worry, the steel hull will protect you.'  I knew that was wrong!  Thankfully we got into the marina at Watkins Glen just before the storm hit, so we weren't the tallest thing in the vicinity any more.  But I will not volunteer to pilot a boat again until somebody invents boat brakes!!!

I was once asked why I liked narrowboating and wasn’t canal water dirty etc etc etc. Where do you moor up and how do you decide how far to travel? Answer you navigate by the pubs and canals run on alcohol and canal water and in that order. As we all know cruising the inland waterways of the world improves your knowledge especially of our heritage. CA

PS the boat brake is reverse!

I was in Lockport years back for a concert, there are also some nearby caves to explore.  A lot of those old canal towns are nice to check out, they had money coming through them from the 1820's on, so some nice buildings with ornate detail.  The decline of upstate NY in general from the 1960's and 1970's on helped to 'preserve' the buildings as there was no need to tear them down, no one had any desire to put $ into anything new.

Middle daughter went to Brockport and with SUNY having the university there it's enabled them to retain a full, vibrant downtown with antique shops, ice cream shop, old movie theater, good bookstore, nice food options...give them a chance if you're in the area again.  The towpath along the canal gives you a spot for a nice stroll after your meal.

With the current restrictions, renting a canal boat in state will be the furthest i can go.  Between that and my motorcycle, at least I've got options.

And I messed up, Lockport and Brockport are both west of Palmyra, not east.

Buffalo way on I-90, not Albany way (for my fellow NY'ers)

My sister lives in Fairport, which is right on the Erie Canal. We have cycled along the tow path in both directions, east to Macedon (I don't remember if we got as far as Palmyra) and west past Pittsford into Rochester.

9 minutes ago, ural guy said:

Buffalo way on I-90, not Albany way (for my fellow NY'ers)

I'm a non-NY'er, but I have travelled the stretch between I-190 and I-390 (actually as far as NY-96 in Victor to go shopping at Eastview) many times.